Project on Japan - U.S. Relations

Japan at Yale

Japan at Yale content (updated 02/23/2005)

Yale University’s connections with Japan go back to the 19^th century.  Yale graduates traveled to Japan soon after the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and contributed to the country’s modernization.  Dwight Whitney Learned (C 1873, G 1875) was one of the first teachers at Doshisha University and stayed in Japan for over 50 years, translating books of the Bible into Japanese and introducing the study of political economy.  Well-known Japanese such as Okubo Toshitake studied at Yale in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  This tradition continues, with current Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Ambassador to the United States Ryozo Kato both having taken degrees at Yale.

At the turn of the 20^th century, Yale was a leader among the handful of universities offering courses related to Japan.  Asakawa Kan’ichi (1873-1948) returned to his alma mater in 1907 to become the first full-time professor of Japanese history in the United States.  In a career spanning 35 years, Asakawa wrote seminal books on Japanese history and started the Japanese collection in the University Library.  A committed internationalist, Asakawa worked to improve U.S.-Japan relations, organized student exchange programs, and sponsored the Yale Japan Association.

Another leader in the field of Japanese and Asian studies was the missionary Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884-1968).  Latourette, a historian of East Asia as well as of Christianity, taught at Yale from 1921 to 1953.  He wrote over 40 books, including The Development of Japan.  He was instrumental in promoting East Asian studies in the United States and was later elected president of the Far Eastern Association (1954-55) and also president of the American Historical Association (1949). 

By the 1960s, Yale’s position as a leader in Japanese studies was secure.  Starting in 1961, John W. Hall (1916-1997) made Yale the premier venue for historical study of Japan.  Hall served as chairman of the Japan-U.S. Conference on Educational and Cultural Interchange, was founder and chair of the Japan-United States Friendship Committee, and also chaired the Joint Committee on Japanese Studies of the Social Science Research Council.  Scholars such as the economist Hugh Patrick and the literature expert Edwin McClellan attracted leading graduate students and helped shape their respective fields.

Today, the tradition of Japanese studies at Yale continues.  Students can work with leading scholars of Japan through the various bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs offered by the University.  Specific Japan-related programs can be found at the following sites:

Council on East Asian Studies

East Asian Languages and Literatures

History

History of Art

Political Science

Anthropology

Sociology

International Security Studies

In addition, the Richard U. Light Fellowship provides full support for students wishing to study Japanese intensively in Japan.

The Fox Fellowship also maintains an exchange program between Yale and Tokyo University.

For complete information on study abroad opportunities, visit the Office of International Programs site.

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©2005, Project on US-Japan Relations